UnForgotten
by Roth
Summary: Complete. Bostwick (Samuel Bostwick) is back and Gary is in danger
1. The News

Title: Un-Forgotten

Author: HAPPYBUNNY13

Rating: PG-13 (Swearing and mild violence in later chapters)

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Early Edition and never will.

Summary: Bostwick (Samuel Bostwick) is back and Gary is in danger.

Note: No real note. Read and review

**Un-Forgotten**

**Chapter One: The News**

****___"Excuse me... have you seen my sanity... I think I lost it."_

He smiled to himself as he watched the guard fall to the floor. He was on his way to freedom and on his way to revenge. He had worked way too long and way too hard to fail now.

"You ruined everything," the man said. It didn't seem like he was talking to anyone, but in his mind he knew exactly who the statement was directed at. He had spent many months in the institution and it had taken a toll on him. The staff didn't doubt at all that the man was crazy. Anyone who spent five minutes with the man wouldn't doubt he was crazy, but then again that number was few because not a lot of people were brave enough or stupid enough to spend any time at all with the man.

He stepped over the dead man lying on the floor and walked toward the door. It was clearly marked exit, but to him, it said freedom. He casually spun the king ring around his finger and stepped up to the door. He inserted the key into the lock, but when he turned it, the door refused to open. The man choose a different key and tried again. The same thing happened. Nervousness arose in the man and he hurriedly went to the next key, and the next, until he was down to the last key. He breathed a sigh of relief when the lock turned easily. He pushed open the door and the sirens went off. He looked at the keypad on the other side of the door and swore loudly. He dropped the keys and took off running. He ran as fast as he could hearing people behind him.

He saw the cliff coming and without even stopping to think, he leapt off into the icy waters of the river below.

!&!&!&

Gary shivered. The paper had said it was only supposed to get down to 40 degrees, but he knew now the paper had been wrong. He looked at his watch and then at the path through the park. A jogger was supposed to be raped, but he hadn't seen any joggers or people who looked like they lurking in the shadows. _"Excluding me," _he thought. He would have laughed, but he was too cold.

He saw a woman running down the sidewalk and decided she had to be the person. He hadn't seen anyone else. _"Where is he?" _Gary asked himself. He was about to check to the paper again when he saw him. He was standing close to a tree and would have be practically invisible in the night had it not been for the white tennis shoes he was wearing.

He stepped out from the trees and was about to grab the woman when Gary shouted, "Look Out!" The woman turned toward Gary and then the man he was pointing at the man. Before she could he even react, the would be assailant took off running. The woman looked nervously at Gary and then took off running much faster than a jog. She had no idea if there were two weirdos in the park that night.

Gary sighed and started back toward the bar. He was cold and tired. The day had been busy. He had to wait for an electrician at the bar earlier and after that he had to get across town to prevent a child from getting abducted at the supermarket. After a few more minor cases, including a dispute at a bar, and a small car crash that held up traffic for hours, Gary had to get back to McGinty's to check to see was needed done with the electricity. The last thing he needed to do was prevent the woman from getting raped.

Gary sighed and looked at his watch. He had told Hazel he would meet her at McGinty's at ten and it was already ten-thirty. "Stupid paper," Gary muttered to himself the paper had been forty-five minutes off about the time and he had stood out there freezing.

Gary tried to catch a taxi, but none of them would stop for him. _"Probably think I'm a maniac," _Gary thought. That time he did laugh.

When he finally got back to the bar, it was five to eleven. He went into the office and saw Marissa sitting at the desk.

"Did Hazel stop by?" he asked her as he hung his jacket. He actually would have preferred to keep it on, but hung it up more out of a force of habit.

"No," said Marissa. "You're lucky she never showed up. You're almost an hour late."

"The paper had the wrong time," replied Gary in his defense. "Wait, she never showed up."

"No," said Marissa. "I thought it was weird too. I thought she might have called you, but apparently not."

Gary sat down at his own desk and tried to think of a reason she wouldn't have shown. The door to the office opened and Gary looked up to see Hazel enter. She was out of breath and her face was pale.

Gary thought it was odd that she was pale when the air outside was so cold, but he would have been pale had he known what she did.

"Sorry," she said. Her voice was quiet and it didn't sound like she was having the easiest time talking. She cleared her throat. "I'm so sorry I didn't show up. I um....got a pretty bad phone call."

"Is everything okay?" asked Gary. He would have been glad she didn't know he hadn't shown up, but the look on her face had him worried.

"I don't know," replied Hazel. "I don't know at all."

"Did have something to do with your family?" asked Marissa.

"No," said Hazel. "I got a call from one of my friends from the FBI. My old boss actually. He told me Samuel Bostwick escaped. He jumped into the river near the institution when he was running away. They dragged the river and everything, but they didn't find his body. He may or may not be dead. They just wanted us to be on guard."

Gary looked at her face and saw that there was more to the story. "What else?" He wasn't sure if had actually wanted to ask that question, but he did anyway.

"He killed one of the guards," continued Hazel. "In his room, they um...found some papers. They pretty cryptic; they think he might have been writing in his own code. There was one constant about the pages though."

"What?" asked Gary and Marissa. Gary wasn't sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

"Your name was on everyone of them," Hazel said to Gary.

Gary felt his stomach drop. The last time he had seen Samuel Bostwick, he had nearly killed him. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. "They sure he's alive?" he asked after a few minutes.

"No," said Hazel. "They're not sure of anything. They just wanted you to be careful, but you haven't been officially informed yet. Anderson wanted me to give you a heads up. Alright?" Gary didn't give her an answer. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," said Gary. He wasn't sure he believed his own words.

"I'm sorry," said Hazel.

Gary looked at her. "About what?"

"I don't know," said Hazel. "It just feels like this my fault."

"It's not your fault," said Gary. He turned toward Marissa who had been quiet for the past few minutes and saw her just sitting at the desk. She had stopped working and was just sitting there.

"Are they trying to find him?" she asked after there had been a few minutes of silence.

"If they're not," said Hazel, "I'm going to kick their asses." She looked over at Gary and said quietly, "Please be careful. They don't think he's got all his marbles anymore."

"Alright," said Gary with a nod.

"I'm gonna get going," said Hazel. She walked out of the office and Gary followed her. "I'll see you tomorrow," said Hazel when they reached the entrance. "Promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise," said Gary.

"Thank you," said Hazel. "Good-bye."

"Bye," said Gary. He watched Hazel walk out of the bar and then quietly walked back into the office.

!&!&!&

Gary collapsed onto his bed with a sigh. He was sore and tired and the news Hazel had given them was bothering him. He rolled onto his side and looked at the orange tabby that was sitting in the windowsill. He bright green eyes stared at him and Gary closed his eyes trying to ignore it.

He struggled to fall asleep and finally settled into a fitful sleep, plagued with unnerving dreams. He dreamt about his last encounter with Samuel Bostwick and at one point in time, woke up struggling to breath. Finally, at 4:30 a.m., Gary gave up on sleep and sat on his couch waiting for the paper to arrive.

!&!&!&

Gary yawned as he walked down the stairs to McGinty's. He was still sore from yesterday and to add on to that, he could barely keep his eyes open. He yawned again and accidently bumped into a bar stool.

"You okay?" asked Marissa who had just stepped into the bar.

"Yeah," replied Gary almost forcefully. "Just tired."

"Be careful today," said Marissa.

"Trust me," said Gary. "I will be." He walked out the door and Marissa sat down on heavily on a barstool. She was worried about him. She was always worried about him, but today it was worse. _"Please, be careful, Gary," _Marissa thought to herself. _"Please." _Marissa sighed and to up from her seat.She had work to do before the bar opened

!&!&!&

Gary hurried to the destination printed in the paper. 'Infant Chokes to Death on Toy,' was the title of the article. _"I'm not going to make,"_ was the thought that kept coming back to him. He broke into a jog and continued toward his destination.

Gary arrived at the apartment building and rushed inside past the doorman. He heard him shout a few choice words at him, but Gary ignored him completely. "Apartment 7B," Gary muttered to himself. He looked around at the numbers on the apartment doors and then rushed to the elevators. The doors closed just as he reached them. Gary swore to himself and then turned toward the fire stairs. He took the steps two at a time and burst into the hallway. He nervously scanned the apartment numbers and found the one he was looking for.

Gary pounded on the door with the palm of his hand and waited nervously for the person inside to answer. The lock on the other side of the door rattled and a petite woman answer the door.

"Can I help you?" she asked Gary politely.

"Um....," said Gary. He was struggling to come up with what to say. "Your son left out his plastic soldiers out, your daughter is going to choke on one."

"What?!" said the woman. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Your daughter is going to choke," said Gary. The woman stared at Gary and then turned her head to look into the apartment to look at something. Gary couldn't see what she was looking at. The woman walked away from the door and Gary saw a small baby crawling around on the floor. The woman scooped the child up in her arms and looked inside her mouth. Gary heard a gasp from her as she pulled out a small plastic soldier. She turned toward Gary, but he was already gone.

!&!&!&

He was cold. There was no doubt about it. He was cold. His cloths had finally dried, but he couldn't get the chill out of his bones. That cold would be there forever. He walked tiredly down the street. He had to get to Chicago, but he couldn't afford to hitch a ride or even try and get a bus ticket. He face was everywhere. He had been sitting in a diner the night before and his face had come up on the news. For awhile, he had been worried he wasn't going to make it of there.

_"Be ready," _he said to himself as he continued down the sidewalk, he hands shoved deep into his pockets. _"Be ready. Because I will find you."_

!&!&!&

Once gain, sleep wouldn't come easy to Gary. He tossed and turned, but he couldn't seem to fall asleep. He was once again plagued with the nightmares from the night before. Gary could still remember how cold he felt in the house, the pain in his side, and the pounding in his head. All of a sudden, he couldn't breath. He struggled to get air, but was failing.

Gary sprang up in his bed and gasped. His chest hurt, but he was finally able to take in a deep breath. He looked at the clock. "Two," Gary said to himself. He closed his eyes and then got out of bed. He knew he wasn't going to get anymore sleep that night.

He sat down on his couch and tried to clear his mind. Gary closed his eyes and tried to relax. The dreams had been unnerving and his chest still hurt from the lack of air. Gary opened his eyes and looked at the glowing red letters of the alarm clock.

"Five?" said Gary confused. The last time he looked at the clock it was two. He still felt tired, but the extra few hours had helped. He continued sitting there waiting for the paper to arrive.

!&!&!&

The man saw his chance coming. His chance to get out of the cold and closed to his goal. When the old pick up stopped at the red-light, the man quickly climbed into the back. He prayed the driver hadn't seen him and breathed a sigh of relief when the truck started driving again.

!&!&!&

"You look terrible," Hazel said to Gary as he sat down next to him at the bar.

"Thanks," said Gary sarcastically.

"Sorry," said Hazel. "I speak before I can think."

"It's okay," said Gary. He was trying to hide the tiredness in his voice.

"Any reason why?' asked Hazel.

"What?" asked Gary looking at her.

"Any reason why you look terrible?" replied Hazel. He gave her a funny look. "I said I think before I can speak, doesn't mean I won't have follow up questions."

"I didn't get a good night's sleep," replied Gary quietly. "That's all." Hazel could tell he didn't want to talk about the subject anymore. "You heard any news."

"Nope," replied Hazel. "They won't tell me anything. It's weird, I feel like an outsider to them. For the first time, I wish I hadn't quit. At least then I would know what the hell is going on."

"I thought you said you called your friend Anderson?" said Gary.

"I did," said Hazel, "but every time I try to talk to him, he gets called and has to hang up." She ran a hand through her hair. "I just wanna know what the hell is going on out there." She looked over at Gary and saw him resting his head on the bar. "How much sleep did you get last night?"

"Enough," replied Gary.

"That's bull," said Hazel. She was becoming irritated.

"I'm fine," said Gary.

"Yeah," said Hazel, "and I'm Queen of France."

"It's just the whole Bostwick thing has me on edge," Gary answered. _"It's not a complete lie,"_ Gary thought to himself.

Hazel sighed. "I'll tell you the minute I hear anything," said Hazel.

"Thanks," said Gary quietly.

"No problem," said Hazel.

!&!&!&

A week went by and Hazel heard no news about Bostwick. Gary was quite so edgy anymore, but he still found himself looking over his shoulder every once and awhile. For the first time in awhile, the paper had barely anything he needed to do. The only real emergency he had to prevent was a mugging at eleven o' clock.

"Are you sure you should go?" Hazel asked Gary.

"Go where?" was Gary's reply.

"To the mugging," answered Hazel. "It's pretty late."

"I've been out later," said Gary.

"Not when a crazy guy with a grudge against you was out of the mental institution," said Hazel.

Gary sighed. "I can't very well let the mugging happen."

"I'll stop it," volunteered Hazel.

"I can't ask you to do that," said Gary.

"You're not asking," said Hazel. "I'm volunteering."

"I'll be fine," said Gary. "I'll be very careful. Okay?"

"Fine," relented Hazel. She looked up at the clock on the wall and said with a sigh. "I have to go to work. I guess I'll see you later."

"Bye," said Gary.

Hazel left the bar and Gary walked back into the office.

"You're still going, aren't you?" asked Marissa. Gary gasped in surprise and looked over at his friend. He hadn't known she was in the office.

"Yeah," he said after he had calmed down. "Why not?"

"It's late," said Marissa, "and it's dangerous."

"I'll be fine," said Gary. He was getting frustrated.

"I just bad feeling about it," said Marissa, "that's all."

"I'll be careful," said Gary. "I promise."

Marissa sighed. "Okay."

!&!&!&

Gary walked quickly down the sidewalk trying his best to ignore the cold. "Why can't anything happen someplace warm?" Gary muttered as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

The paper said the mugging happened at eleven, but it was eleven fifteen and Gary had been pacing the same part of the sidewalk waiting for the victim or the mugger to show. Gary looked at his watch and let out a frustrated sigh. He grabbed the paper out of his back pocket and turned to the page with the article. "Where is it?" asked Gary when he saw the article had been replaced with a store ad.

"Maybe the mugger changed his mind," said a voice behind.

Gary's blood ran cold as he dropped the paper. He tried to say something, but he couldn't come up with any words.

"Miss me?" asked the man with a laugh. Gary suddenly felt a bust of pain in his head and he sank to the ground unconscious.

!&!&!&

Hazel was sitting on the couch flipping through the channels. She couldn't seem to focus on anything thanks to the message on her answering machine. "I shouldn't be telling you this, Hazel," Anderson had said in the message, "but we're almost positive that Bostwick isn't dead."

Hazel sighed and changed the channel again. She looked over at the clock. "Eleven forty-five," she muttered quietly to herself. "Maybe I should see if he's back."

She got up from her spot on the couch and walked over to the phone. She dialed Gary's number and waited while the phone rang. First ring, _"Hasn't reached the phone yet."_ Second ring. _"Can't find the phone."_ Third ring, _"Tripped and fell."_ Fourth Ring. _"Downstairs in the bar."_ The answer machine picked up. _"Paper had the wrong time."_

She shakily hung up the phone and walked back over to the couch. "I'm sure he's fine," Hazel kept saying to herself. "Maybe the save took longer than he expected." Wadsworth looked up at her and made a small whimpering sound.

"I'll call in a little while," Hazel said quietly to herself, "and he'll be there, and everything will be fine."

!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!

Read and review.


	2. No Answer

Title: Un-Forgotten

Author: HAPPYBUNNY13

Rating: PG-13 (Swearing and mild violence in later chapters)

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Early Edition and never ever will. Got it?

Summary: Bostwick (Samuel Bostwick) is back and Gary is in danger.

Note: Please review!

**Un-Forgotten**

**Chapter Two: No Answer**

****_"An enemy generally says and believes what he wishes." Thomas Jefferson_

Gary woke to a pounding headache and slowly sat up. He reached up and felt the back of his head. He felt moisture and when he pulled his hand away, he saw blood on his fingers.

"What happened?" Gary asked himself. He thought for a minute and then, "The paper!" He reached into his back pocket, but found it was empty.

"Looking for this?" asked a voice from behind him. The hair on the back of Gary's neck stood on end and Gary slowly turned around. He saw the man he had been dreading standing there holding a paper; his paper! "Welcome back," said Bostwick coldly.

Gary tried to stand, but the room started to spin, and he fell back to the floor.

"Glad to see you remember me," said Bostwick.

"Wh-what-what d-do you w-want?" asked Gary nervously.

"Same thing I wanted last time," said Bostwick. "Revenge."

"Against y-y-your br-brother?" said Gary.

Anger flashed in the man's eyes and before Gary could react, Bostwick had grabbed the front on Gary's shirt and pulled him to his feet. "Not this time," said Bostwick through clenched teeth. "I want revenge against you!" He pushed Gary back. Gary stumbled and tripped over his feet. He fell back and hit the wall.

Bostwick glared at Gary and then left the room; the paper still in his hands.

!&!&!&

Hazel was asleep on the couch. She hadn't meant to fall asleep, but she was tired and finally gave in. She woke to the ringing of the phone. Hazel hurried to the kitchen and grabbed the phone. "Hello?" she said hoping to hear Gary's voice on the other end.

"Hazel," said Marissa, "have you heard from Gary?"

"No," said Hazel with a sigh. "I was hoping you had ."

"No such luck," said Marissa quietly. "If he calls you or you get a hold of him, tell me."

"Alright," said Hazel. "If he calls you, tell me. I'm really worried."

"Okay," said Marissa. "Bye."

"Bye," said Hazel. She hung up the phone and went back to sit on the couch. The clock on the living room wall read one-thirty a.m..

!&!&!&

Gary slowly got up off the floor and walked over to the door. He head throbbed in pain, but Gary was trying his best to ignore it. He grabbed the doorknob and slowly opened the door. He prayed that Bostwick was gone by now.

He stepped out into the hall, but before he could even take two steps, someone grabbed him and threw him up against the wall.

"I was hoping you would try and escape," said Bostwick coldly. Gary felt his hands around his neck. Bostwick was applying enough pressure to make it hard for Gary to breath, but not enough to cut off his air supply completely.

"You're not allowed to leave yet," said Bostwick with a sick grin. He applied more pressure to Gary's throat. "I have plans for you." He punched Gary in the stomach and laughed as he watched Gary struggle to get air.

Bostwick let Gary fall to the floor and smiled to himself as Gary burst into a coughing fit. Bostwick pulled his foot back and planted a kick in Gary's side. He pulled Gary back to his feet by his arm and hauled him back to the room. He threw Gary into the room and slammed the door shut. This time he made sure to lock the door.

!&!&!&

Marissa walked into McGinty's the next morning. The bar was quiet. She had hoped to hear Gary, but she was greeted only by the silence. Marissa sighed and walked into the office.

_"Maybe he had to go to an early save,"_ Marissa thought to herself. She sat down at her desk and started to work on some bills.

!&!&!&

Gary was resting his head against the wall behind him. He still had a pounding headache, but the pain was less than yesterday. There was a new pain though. There was a dull ache in his ribs from where Bostwick had kicked him.

"Where's the cat?" Gary asked himself. "He should have been here by now." He heard a loud yowl and Bostwick shout from somewhere in the building. Bostwick shouted a few curse words and then there was a loud crash followed by silence. Gary slowly got to his feet and walked over to the door. He turned the knob, but found the door locked.

He heard footsteps out in the hall and he slowly backed up. _"Maybe I can surprise,"_ Gary thought, _"and then I can get out of here."_

The door opened and Gary saw Bostwick entering the room; his eyes focused on the paper in his hand. Gary rushed at the older man hoping to catch him off guard and get out of the house. Bostwick saw Gary coming, but not in time to get out of the way.

Gary hit the older, but a few seconds later, he felt a white-hot pain in his stomach. He stumbled back a few feet and looked down at the cut on his stomach. He looked up at Bostwick and saw him holding a bloody knife.

"You don't think I was ready for anything?" said Bostwick as a smile crept onto his face. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bandana. He tossed it to Gary and said with spite in his voice, "Here. I don't want you to bleed to death." He cast one last glare at Gary and then left the room.

Gary looked down at the bandana on the floor and carefully stooped to pick it up. He carefully lifted the front of his shirt and looked at the cut. He couldn't tell how deep it was, but it was bleeding badly. He pressed the bandana against it and winced in pain. He carefully sat down on the floor and rested his head against the wall.

!&!&!&

Hazel slowly dialed the number of Anderson's office. She knew she could be jumping to conclusions, but she didn't care anymore. She waited while it rang, but when the machine picked up, she cursed to herself.

She looked over at the dog lying on the couch and then around the apartment. _"He could have just got in really late," _Hazel said to herself, _"and now's he still asleep." _Then aloud she said with a laugh. "Yeah right."__

She grabbed her keys off the counter and left the apartment.

!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!__

Uh, Second chapter. I guess.


	3. The Crash

Title: Un-Forgotten

Author: HAPPYBUNNY13

Rating: PG-13 (Swearing and mild violence in later chapters)

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Early Edition and never ever will. Got it?

Summary: Bostwick (Samuel Bostwick) is back and Gary is in danger.

Note: I took this chapter off just to fix something in it. Sorry it took so long to re-post it, but I kinda broke a rule and got my upload access denied for about a week. This site is very serious about their rules, remember that.

**Un-Forgotten**

**Chapter Three: The Crash**

_"The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil." Hannah Arendt. _

"What the hell are we supposed to do?" Hazel asked Marissa as she paced around the McGinty's office.

"I don't know," said Marissa. "We should go to the police."

"And say what?" asked Hazel turning to stare at Marissa. "Our friend didn't come home last night after going out to stop a mugging he read about in tomorrow's paper. We think he might have been kidnapped by this mentally insane criminal with a grudge against who recently escaped from a mental institution south of here, but you can't tell anyone that because it's a government secret. How might you find him, you ask? Just look for an orange tabby cat and an edition of tomorrow's paper. We'd end up in the same place Bostwick just escaped from."

"I wouldn't go that far," said Marissa not caring much for Hazel's sarcasm, "but we have to find him."

"I know," said Hazel as she sat down, "but where do we start."

"We need to get help," said Marissa.

"I've been trying to get hold of Anderson all day," said Hazel. "Try and get their help, but I can't even get two words in before something he has to deal with pops up. Can't go to the police without telling them how we know."

"What about Crumb?" said Marissa.

"What?" asked Hazel.

"Crumb," said Marissa. "He's a detective. We can tell him about Bostwick. He's helped before. The only thing we can't tell him about is the paper."

"I guess that would work," said Hazel. She ran a hand through her hair. "We have to find him."

!&!&!&

Gary didn't realize it, but he had fallen asleep. He was awoken by a loud crash. He opened his eyes and saw Bostwick standing over him. He pulled Gary to his feet and said harshly, "Come on."

"Where are we going?" asked Gary.

"Where you would have gone tonight if you hadn't had an expected change of plans," said Bostwick. He pulled Gary's arms behind his back and handcuffed him. "Can't have you getting away, now can we?"

He led Gary out of the house and down to a car that was parked alongside the road. Bostwick opened the passenger's side door and shoved Gary into the seat. He walked over to the driver's side and got in.

!&!&!&

"So what happened again?" asked Crumb as he sat down in the McGinty's office.

"He didn't come back last night," replied Marissa.

"There has to be more to it that," said Crumb. "I mean, you said he knew Bostwick had escaped. Gary knew he was after him. Why would he out that late?"

Hazel looked nervously around the room and then answered, "We don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?!" shouted Crumb. "Were you just talking to him and then all of a sudden, he got up and left and didn't say a word."

"Not exactly," said Marissa. "He-he told us he had to run and errand and left. He didn't come home."

"Look," said Crumb, "I can't help you find him unless you can give more information that."

"Look here, Crumb," said Marissa angrily, "we don't know anything other that. We'd be looking for him if we did. We need help. Gary is in danger!"

Hazel was shocked at Marissa's outburst and Crumb was staring at the woman. "Alright," said Crumb after about thirty seconds of silence, "but I'm going to need both of you guys help."

!&!&!&

"What are we doing here?" asked Gary. The car was parked along the side of the road close to an intersection with a stoplight.

"You'll see," said Bostwick calmly.

"Why are we here?" Gary asked again angrily.

Bostwick sighed and tossed the paper onto his lap. Gary looked down and saw the article Bostwick must have been talking about. "'Three Critically Injured in Car Crash'" was the title. "I think that I'm up for some entertainment today. What about you?" Bostwick's laugh was full of mirth.

"You ca-can't," said Gary as his already pale face went a shade lighter.

"Of course I can," said Bostwick. "I am quite capable of it."

"But what the people in that car?" said Gary. He had his eyes nervously on the road watching for the cars.

"I don't know them," said Bostwick with a shrug.

"So why do you want them to get hurt?" asked Gary. Bostwick didn't respond.

"Here they come," said Bostwick after a few minutes.

"STOP THEM! Please," Gary begged him. Gary watched as a blue car T-boned the turning vehicle. He heard the screeching sound of breaks and a cry of intense pain. "You're a sick man, d'you know that? Sick!" Gary blinked as hot tears filled in his eyes. All he could think about was the haunting scream of the driver. That scream tormented his mind.

!&!&!&

Hazel walked into her apartment just as the phone began to ring. He rushed over to it and answered hopefully, "Hello!?"

"Hazel," said the man on the other end, "this is Anderson. I got your messages."

"Oh," said Hazel sadly.

"Good to hear from you too," said Anderson.

"Sorry," said Hazel. "I was just hoping you were someone else."

"What's up?" Anderson noted the troubled tone in her voice.

"We think that Bostwick has Gary. He's been missing for roughly a day," she replied weakly.

"Maybe something came up and he had to go out of town?" Anderson suggested.

"No, believe me, if something like that happened," said Hazel, "Gary would've told us."

"I'll send somebody over, okay?" he asked.

"Sure, who?" Hazel inquired.

"New agent, his name's Ian McCain," Anderson added.

"What?!" shouted Hazel. "You want to send a_ new _agent on this assignment? I don't think so! We're dealing with a mental, homicidal criminal, and we need someone who knows what the hell they're doing!" Hazel went into a vat of hysterics.

"I'm sending him anyway, Hazel," he said tonelessly.

"Damn you, Anderson!" she shouted into the receiver.

"I love you, too Hazel," Anderson said sardonically. "Gotta go make a few calls. Bye."

Hazel heard the dial tone on the other end and hung up the phone. The last thing she needed was a brand new agent fresh out of the academy sticking his nose into things. He probably still played by all the rules.

!&!&!&

Bostwick took the handcuffs off Gary's wrist and threw him into the room. "Think about it," said Bostwick seeing that Gary had been greatly affected by what he saw tonight. He was glad about that. "You could have stopped those people from getting hurt, but you didn't?"

Gary stared at him when he said that, but didn't say anything.

"You didn't stop it," said Bostwick, "what if you had?" He smiled evilly at Gary and then left the room letting what he had said sink in.

Gary leaned against the wall and rested his head. He still saw the accident in his mind, heard the screams and everything. He was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. He started to shiver not knowing if it was from cold or Bostwick's words.

!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&

Done with three.


	4. The Threat

Title: Un-Forgotten

Author: HAPPYBUNNY13

Rating: PG-13 (Swearing and mild violence in later chapters)

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Early Edition and never ever will. Got it?

Summary: Bostwick (Samuel Bostwick) is back and Gary is in danger.

Note: Please review!

**Un-Forgotten**

**Chapter Four: The Threat**

_"No matter how much you do, you never do enough."_

Hazel paced around her table, thinking about what probably was happening to Gary right now. "Maybe he's..." she never finished that thought, but always left it hanging. Wadsworth, seeing his human companion in a fit of distress, nudged her elbow and gave her a look a sympathy. "Oh, Wads," Hazel threw her arms around the big dog's neck, "what if back," she whispered the last two words. Wadsworth just looked at her with his sad eyes. Suddenly the phone rang. "Hello?" said Hazel.

"Hazel, it's Marissa," said the voice on the line.

"I talked to Anderson," she said .

"Who?" Marissa asked with confusion in her voice.

"My old boss," Hazel said plainly. "He's sending an agent over."

Marissa noted the sourness of Hazel's voice as she said 'agent'. "What's wrong?"

"He's sending over a new agent, fresh from the academy," she said bitterly, "never had any experience in a situation like this before. Probably will screw everything up," Hazel rambled on for a few minutes.

!&!&!&

Gary heard the soft thumping of padded footsteps. "Cat?" he opened an bleary eye and looked around. For a second, the room was blurry, but after Gary blinked his eyes a few times it cleared.

He saw the Cat sitting across the room staring at him. _"Please don't let him have the paper,"_ Gary prayed to himself. He knew he couldn't take another day of Bostwick's sick games. He walked over to the cat, but didn't see the paper.

Gary heard the door open behind him and turned around quickly. He saw Bostwick standing there. He didn't have the paper. Gary sighed in relief. "Where is it, Hobson?"

"Where's what?" Gary asked innocently.

"You know what I'm talking about! Now give me the paper," Bostwick's dark figure loomed over Gary.

"I don't have it," he said honestly.

"Give it to me, now," Bostwick said.

"I don't have it!" Gary replied again.

Bostwick grabbed the front of Gary's shirt and threw him up against the wall. "Give me the damn paper!"

"Even if I did have it," said Gary through clenched teeth. "I wouldn't give it to you just so you would let innocent people get hurt."

Bostwick glared at Gary and then slammed his head the wall. Gary felt a burst of pain in his head and then the word went dark.

!&!&!&

Hazel was sitting in the McGinty's office. Marissa was sitting at the desk and Crumb was pacing.

"Do you know him?" asked Crumb finally breaking the uncomfortable silence in the room.

"Nope," said Hazel. "Joined after I quit. Have you made any progress?"

"Not much," said Crumb, "but you didn't exactly give a whole lot to go on."

"Just tell us what you found," said Marissa.

"Alright," said Crumb. "I've been asking around. Seeing if anybody has seen Hobson or Bostwick.. Some guy I was talking to said he saw a man that looked like Hobson just standing on the sidewalk not doing anything about two nights ago. Said he went into the store and when he came out the man was gone." He saw the look on their faces. "I told you it wasn't much to go on."

"Anything else?" asked Hazel.

Crumb thought for a minute. "This woman on the other end of town said she thought she saw man that looked like Bostwick in a 7-11, but she said she couldn't be sure. Still not much to go on."

"Better than nothing," said Marissa.

"Yeah," retorted Hazel.

"No sarcasm required here, Hazel," said Marissa.

"Sorry," said Hazel.

"So when does this new agent show up?" asked Crumb.

"Tomorrow sometime," replied Hazel.

"Maybe he'll be able to help us," said Marissa.

!&!&!&

Gary slowly opened his eyes and looked around. Bostwick was gone, but Gary could still feel his presence there. "Those people got hurt because of me," Gary said quietly to himself, "because I didn't do anything." The accident repeated itself in his mind. Gary tried to block it out, but he couldn't.

He was cold, but there wasn't any draft in the house. He was cold from fear and the fever he knew he had. _"I have to stop him,"_ Gary thought to himself. _"I have to."_

!&!&!&

Bostwick sat in the chair slowly rocking on two legs. He had hoped to keep up the mind games for a few days, but the paper had stopped coming. "What am I supposed to do now?" he asked himself. "I don't want to kill him yet. There wouldn't be any fun in that." He let the chair rest on all fours legs again and rested his chin in his hands. "He cares about people, friends, strangers, it doesn't matter. That's his weakness." He smiled to himself as a new plan started to form in his head.

!&!&!&

The plane landed in five minutes and Hazel was moping in one of the chairs waiting to pick up the new agent. "How the hell did I get suckered into this?" she asked herself. "Sometimes, I hate Anderson."

"Maureen Hazel?" said a voice. Hazel looked up and saw a man in his late twenties standing there.

"Hazel will be fine," said Hazel simply as she stood up. "Wait, how did you know it was me?"

"I read your old file," said the man. He stuck out his hand. "Ian McCain."

"Charmed," said Hazel not bothering to shake his hand. She started to walk away.

The agent brought his hand back and followed Hazel. "I know I wasn't exactly what you were expecting, but I do believe I can help you."

"I'm glad one of us believes that," said Hazel as she quickened her pace.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" asked McCain as he tried to catch up with her.

"Why aren't you?" retorted Hazel angrily.

"Because I don't really know where I'm going yet," replied McCain.

Hazel stopped suddenly and turned around. "Do you have any idea what's going on here?" asked Hazel giving the agent a funny look.

"Of course I do," said McCain. "A man named Samuel Bostwick escaped from a mental institution. Apparently he was a threat to you about a year ago or so. No he's after a man named, oh...I forgot the name."

"His name is Gary Hobson," said Hazel, "and Samuel Bostwick isn't after him, he's already got him."

"How do you know that?" asked McCain. "And why weren't we informed?"

"I told Anderson," said Hazel, "and he told me he was sending you. He probably told you and you forgot." She turned around and walked away.

!&!&!&

Gary opened his eyes as he heard the door opened and looked up to see Bostwick walk into the room. He walked over to Gary and stared at him for a moment. All of a sudden, Bostwick started to snicker.

"What's so funny?" asked Gary weakly.

"Just thinking about something," said Bostwick. "If this is how you react to complete strangers getting hurt, how would you react if someone you cared about got hurt?" Gary swallowed hard, but didn't say anything. "One of your friends or family. What if I brought one of them here to 'visit?'"

"Leave them alone," said Gary with his teeth clenched tightly. He tried to stand up, but Bostwick pushed him back down.

"What are you going to do about it?" asked Bostwick. "I think I will bring your friends for a visit. See how you feel if one of them get hurt."

"If you do," said Gary threateningly as he tried to stand again, "I'll- I'll..."

Bostwick laughed and pulled Gary to his feet. "You'll what?"

"I'll make you pay," said Gary angrily not caring if he made Bostwick angry. Gary swung out with his left arm and punched Bostwick across the face. Bostwick was stunned, but didn't let go of Gary's shirt. He regained his composure and punched Gary in his stomach. He didn't even wait for Gary to get his breath before he punched him again. Bostwick let Gary fall to the floor and then planted a powerful kick on the cut. Gary gasped in pain and struggled to breath.

Bostwick left the room and laughing to himself as he heard Gary gasping for air.

!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&&!&!&!&!&!&!&&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!

Chapter four. Done.


	5. The Rescue

Title: Un-Forgotten

Author: HAPPYBUNNY13

Rating: PG-13 (Swearing and mild violence in later chapters)

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Early Edition and never ever will. Got it?

Summary: Bostwick (Samuel Bostwick) is back and Gary is in danger.

Note: Chapter title gives it all away

**Un-Forgotten**

**Chapter Five: The Rescue**

_"There is no use worrying about things over which you have no control, and if you have control, you can do something about them instead of worrying." Stanley c. Allyn_

Crumb sighed. "Thanks for your time," Crumb said to the woman who owned the store.

"Sorry, I couldn't have been more help," said the woman with a shrug.

"That's alright," said Crumb. He gave the woman a half-hearted smile and walked out of the convenience. He wanted to help Marissa and Hazel. He liked them and considered them friends, but things were starting to look hopeless. No one had seen Hobson or Bostwick anywhere and he had checked all over Chicago.

He had to say he was worried though. He liked Hobson, he may have been annoying, but he liked him.

"Sir," said a voice behind him. Crumb turned around and saw a man walking toward him.

"Yeah," said Crumb.

"That guy you're looking for," said the man, "I've seen him. The older one that is."

"You have?" said Crumb. "Where?"

"There are these old buildings on the other side of town," said the man. "They're condemned so I thought it was strange to see someone else there."

"What were you doing there?" asked Crumb.

"I jog through that area," replied the man in his defense. "I thought it was strange seeing him there because I've never seen anyone else there so it stuck out in my mind."

"Can you show me where you saw him?" asked Crumb.

"I'm kind of in a hurry," replied the man. "I can give you the address though." He quickly wrote down the address and handed it to Crumb.

"Thanks," said Crumb as he put the address in his pocket.

"You're welcome," replied the man as he hurried off.

!&!&!&

Gary wanted to get up, but the pain was killing him. All he wanted to do was sleep. His mind drifted back to Bostwick's threat, and the fear forced Gary to sit up. He looked down and saw the cut was bleeding again. Gary looked around and saw the bandana lying a few feet away. He picked it up and pressed it down on the cut. He wince involuntarily at the pain.

"This is all my fault," Gary muttered to himself. "Those people got hurt because of me and if my friends get hurt it will be because of me."

!&!&!&

Crumb could feel the tension in the McGinty's office and he knew exactly why. He couldn't say he liked the young agent, but then again he couldn't say he didn't need the help. It seemed though that both Hazel and Marissa disliked the agent.

"Are you sure that's all you know?" McCain asked both Marissa and Hazel.

"For the last time," said Hazel not hiding the fact the young agent was irritating her, "yes."

"He's just trying to help," said Marissa.

"He hasn't had a case yet," said Hazel, "how the hell can he help?"

"I have had cases," said McCain, "and I wouldn't really be talking if I were you. I'm not the one who quit the FBI."

"How could you quit the FBI?" asked Hazel. "You've only been working for them for a week."

"Would you children stop arguing?" said Crumb. "I have a lead on where Bostwick."

"How come you didn't say that sooner?" asked McCain turning to stare at Crumb.

"You didn't ask," replied Crumb liking the agent less and less.

"You people really need to learn that I am in charge of this investigation right now," said McCain angrily. "The FBI sent me here to do a job and I intend to do it."

"Yeah," said Hazel, "but how well?"

"Better than you ever did," said McCain. "You see, I haven't let my partner die."

Crumb and Marissa were shocked at the younger agent's words, but Crumb was still able to predict her next move. Crumb grabbed hold of Hazel arm as it went back into a fist. McCain was a good four inches taller than Hazel, but he had no doubt that she would have been able to do a lot of damage to him.

"We don't have time for this Hazel," said Crumb.

Hazel pulled her arm out of Crumb's grip and glared at the agent.

"What's the lead?" asked Marissa after giving the agent and the ex-agent time to calm down.

"I ran into a man who said he saw a man matching Bostwick's description near these old abandoned buildings," replied Crumb.

"He repeats himself," said Hazel.

"What?" asked the agent looking at her. Hazel didn't reply.

"What are we waiting for?" asked Marissa as she stood up.

"My car's outside," said Crumb.

Hazel pushed past McCain and followed Crumb and Marissa out of the office. McCain sighed and followed too.

!&!&!&

Bostwick walked out of the building and over to the car he parked long the side of the road. He had hoped he wouldn't have to go in search of Gary's friends for a few days, but since the paper stopped showing up, he had to find them early.

!&!&!&

"Which one?" asked Hazel as she helped Marissa out of the car.

"He didn't say," replied Crumb. "I don't think he knew."

Hazel looked at the buildings and studied them carefully. Most of the doors were boarded up or shut tight. One building stood out. The door stood slightly ajar and boards were lying on the ground.

"I say that one," said Hazel pointing to the building with the open door.

Crumb nodded and the group walked toward it. They walked in through the already opened door.

"Which way?" asked McCain when he saw there were stairs leading both up and down.

"Marissa and I will go up," said Hazel. They left before Crumb or McCain could respond.

!&!&!&

Gary was trying his best not to fall asleep. He was cold and tired and he was having trouble ignoring the pain. His head lolled back against the wall again and this time, he didn't bother sitting up again. Just as he was about to fall asleep, Gary heard the door open and feared that Bostwick was back. He shut his eyes tight and covered the cut on his stomach with the bandana.

!&!&!&

"One last room to check," said Hazel as she turned the door knob.

"What if he's not here?" asked Marissa as she clutched her cane nervously.

"We're going to find him," said Hazel. Marissa heard the confidence in her voice, but was having trouble believing it.

Hazel opened the door and tried and failed to hold back a gasp.

"What is it?" asked Marissa nervously.

Hazel didn't reply. She simply pulled Marissa into the room and rushed over to Gary who was sitting against the wall. "What is it?" Marissa asked again.

"It's Gary," replied Hazel as she knelt down in front of him.

"How is he?" asked Marissa nervously.

"I'm not sure," answered Hazel. She set her hand on the side of his face and then pulled it back quickly surprised by the heat. Hazel sighed and set her hand back on his face. "Gary?" she said quietly. "Gary, wake up." She saw the bloody bandana on his stomach and gently took it off. She cringed at the sight of the cut and gasped involuntarily.

"What is it?" asked Marissa anxiously.

"He's got a bad cut on his stomach," answered Hazel. "I don't think it's very deep though."

Gary slowly opened his eyes and saw two blurry figures standing in front of him. He felt someone's hand on his face, but didn't feel scared about it. His vison cleared and he was able to identify the people in front of him. "Hazel?" he said weakly. "Marissa?"

"We're right here," said Hazel. "You're going to be okay. We're going to get you to a hospital and then we're going to get you home."

Gary nodded and then his eyes went wide with shock. "You have to get out of here!" he said nervously.

"What are you talking about?" asked Marissa scared by Gary's tone.

"Bostwick!" replied Gary nervously. "He's coming."

"Don't worry," said Hazel. "We're not leaving without you." She stood and reached into her pocket. "Damn! Forgot my phone." She turned toward Marissa. "I'm going to go get Crumb. I hope he has his with him."

Hazel helped Marissa over to Gary and Marissa stooped down in front of him. She took hold of Gary's hand and quietly talked to him trying to keep him calm.

Hazel left the room and rushed down the stairs. "Crumb!" Hazel shouted through the building. "Crumb! Where the hell are you, Crumb?" She heard someone behind her and turned around. "How come you didn't respond, Crumb?" Her eyes went wide when she saw who it was. Before she could even react, she felt a burst of pain in her head and she fell to the floor unconscious.

!&!&!&

"Crumb," said McCain, "someone shouted your name."

Crumb turned around and listened for a second. He heard Hazel's shout and sighed in relief. "I guess she found him," said Crumb. He and McCain started back upstairs when thy heard a soft thud. Both of them knew the sound of a body hitting the floor and hurried to where they had heard Hazel calling.

!&!&!&

"Marissa?" said Gary quietly.

"Yeah, Gary," replied Marissa.

"You have to get out of here," said Gary weakly. "You gu-guys are in danger."

"We're not leaving without you," said Marissa. "I can't see how badly you're hurt, but I can tell by your voice you're in no condition to be here. Hazel went to go get Crumb so we can get you out of here so don't worry."

"No," said a voice behind them, "Hazel is right here."

Gary looked past Marissa and saw Bostwick standing in the door with a knife to a disoriented Hazel's throat.

"I'm actually quite glad you two showed up here," Bostwick as he walked farther into the room. "Saves me the trouble of tracking you down."

"Let them go!" said Gary not caring how tired he was anymore. He struggled to his feet. The movement startled Marissa and she stumbled back a few feet.

"You see," said Bostwick with a smile, "that's what I was talking about. How you care about other people more than yourself." He pressed the knife into Hazel's throat.

"Leave them alone," Gary said taking a shaky step toward Bostwick.

"What are you gonna do about it?" asked Bostwick with a laugh. "Can't very well save them in the condition you're in, can you?"

Suddenly, there was a loud crack and Gary watched as Bostwick fell to the floor. Crumb was standing behind him with the barrel of the gun in his hand. Crumb had knocked the man out.

McCain helped Hazel up off the floor and Crumb hurried over to Gary who looked like he was going to collapse.

"You all right there, Hobson?" asked Crumb as he helped Gary sit back down on the floor.

Gary didn't answer. He was staring at Hazel. McCain was trying to get her to sit down, but she refused. She was holding her head with one hand and balancing herself against the wall with the other. "Is he okay?" asked Hazel.

McCain looked over at Gary and then back at Hazel. "I don't know."

Hazel gave her head a shake and walked over to Gary. "Give me your cell, Crumb," she said. Crumb reached into his pocket and handed the cell to Hazel.

"Gary, are you okay?" Marissa asked nervously.

All Gary could manage in response was a weak 'yes.'

"You're going to be fine, Gary," said Marissa.

Gary nodded and then rested his head on the wall behind him. He closed his eyes and sank into the darkness he had been trying to avoid.

!&!&!&

"He passed out," said Crumb.

"What?" asked Marissa. "He was just talking."

"The ambulance is going to be here as soon as possible," said Hazel as she handed the phone back to Crumb.

"So will the police," said McCain as he walked over to the group. "Is everyone alright?" he said that as he cast a glance at Hazel.

"We're fine," replied Hazel. "Right now, we have to worry about getting Gary out of here." She unconsciously rubbed her head.

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Done with five. Bye.


	6. The Hospital

Title: Un-Forgotten

Author: HAPPYBUNNY13

Rating: PG-13 (Swearing and mild violence in later chapters)

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Early Edition and never ever will. Got it?

Summary: Bostwick (Samuel Bostwick) is back and Gary is in danger.

Note: I'm working. ****

**Un-Forgotten**

**Chapter Six: The Hospital**

_"Give up for a second and that is where you will finish."_

He remembered the ambulance ride and the emergency room, but everything after that was a blur. Eventually, Gary gave into exhaustion and fell asleep.

!&!&!&

"When are they gonna tell us anything?" Hazel asked impatiently for the fourth time.

"Whenever they know," replied Marissa with a sigh. "Whenever they know."

"Maybe you should get your head checked out," suggested Crumb. "You took a pretty bad blow to it."

"I'm fine," said Hazel. "I've survived worse things." They could tell that was the end of the conversation.

Marissa thought back to the house. She hadn't seen Gary, but she could tell by the tone of his voice that he was far from okay. Marissa hated to think about it, but Gary had sounded defeated. He sounded worried, angry, and scared when Bostwick was in the room, but afterwards, it had sounded like he was just giving up. Marissa had no idea what Bostwick had done to Gary, but she wanted him to pay for it.

"That bastard had better pay," Marissa muttered to herself. She wasn't aware she had said it aloud.

Crumb and Hazel both looked toward the woman slightly surprised by her words.

!&!&!&

"Who is here for Gary Hobson?" asked a man holding a clipboard as he walked into the room.

"We are," said Marissa as the trio got to their feet.

The doctor walked over to them and extended his hand to Marissa. "I'm Doctor Martin Wolf."

"Nice to meet you," said Marissa. "Tell us, how is he?"

"He's going to be fine," said Dr. Wolf. "Ten stitches were enough to close the cut on his stomach. He's got two bruised ribs, and quite a few other bruises, but they'll be gone in about a week. He's got a fever, but it's going down. With a couple weeks rest, he'll be fine."

"Can we see him?" asked Hazel.

"Sure," replied the doctor. "He's in 318. It's on the fourth floor right past the nurses' station. He may be a little drowsy from what we gave him to fight the fever though."

"Thank you," said Marissa.

"You're welcome," replied Dr. Wolf.

They walked down to the elevators which were down the hall and rode it to the second floor. The fourth floor was quiet compared to the floor they were just on. There was a nurse on duty behind the station, but other than that the floor was practically deserted.

"Where is everybody?" Crumb asked as he looked around the floor.

"Maybe this is the slow shift," replied Hazel. They walked a little farther down the hall. "Here it is."

Marissa felt for the doorknob and walked into the room. Hazel was about to follow when Crumb grabbed her arm. "I have to talk to you," he said quickly.

"What?" asked Hazel turning to face him.

"What did McCain mean when he said he hadn't let his partner die?" asked Crumb.

Hazel looked at the floor and then at the ceiling. Anywhere to avoid looking Crumb in the eyes.

"You told me he's dead," said Crumb, "and you told me Frederick Bostwick killed him. What happened?"

"Back in '95," said Hazel, "My partner and I were working on the Bostwick case. He gave me orders to wait for backup and I didn't want to, but I had to. I didn't really have a choice. Bostwick shot my partner and was able to because I failed him, and if you don't mind, it's not exactly a subject I like to talk about."

Hazel walked into Gary's hospital room.

"He's asleep," said Marissa hearing Hazel walk into the room. Hazel looked at Gary and saw his pale face. His eyes were closed and his breathing was even. He had an IV and there were a few bruises on his arm.

"Do you want to wake him up?" asked Hazel torn between both choices.

Marissa shook her head. "Let him sleep," replied Marissa. "We can talk to him later."

Hazel nodded and went to sit down in a chair in the corner of the room. Marissa already had the one by the bed.

!&!&!&

The world was slowly coming back to Gary. He heard noises first. Some people talking in the hallway and a TV going somewhere. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Marissa sitting in the chair by his bed. Hey eyes were closed and it was obvious she was asleep.

He looked around at his surroundings and saw the plain white walls of a hospital room. He closed his eyes and sighed in relief. He had been afraid everything earlier had been a dream and he was going to wake up in the abandoned building.

_"What about Hazel?!" _Gary thought to himself as he remembered the scene from earlier.

He was about to wake Marissa and ask her when Hazel walked into the room carrying a cup of coffee.

"Glad to see you're awake," said Hazel quietly with a smile. She walked around the bed and pulled her chair over to the other side.

"What happened?" he asked. His voice was hoarse. "What happened to Bostwick?"

"Um....," said Hazel, "McCain, he's an agent the FBI sent, arrested him. They're holding him in Chicago overnight and then he's being transferred back to the medical clinic. He'll stand trial, eventually."

Gary nodded and closed his eyes. "You okay?" asked Hazel. Gary shook his head.

"Three people died because of me," said Gary sadly.

"What?" said Hazel giving Gary an odd look. "What are you talking about?"

Gary gave no response. He simply shook his head again and looked away from Hazel. He saw that Marissa was now awake and he knew she had heard the conversation.

"What happened there, Gary?" asked Marissa anxiously.

"I can't talk about this," said Gary sadly. "Please leave."

"But--," said Hazel.

"Please," said Gary.

Marissa and Hazel rose from their seats and walked over to the door. Hazel looked once more back at Gary and saw that he was staring blankly out the window. "Is he gonna be okay?" Hazel asked Marissa quietly as they walked out into the hall.

"I don't know," said Marissa. "We have to know what happened there." There was a pause and then Marissa continued. "I plan finding out."

!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!

Done. Please review.


	7. The Truth

Title: Un-Forgotten

Author: HAPPYBUNNY13

Rating: PG-13 (swearing and mild-violence)

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: Don't own them. Sorry. Wish I did.

Summary: Bostwick (Samuel Bostwick) is back and Gary is in danger.

Note: Sorry it took so long. I'm working on three stories at once.

**Un-Forgotten**

**Chapter Seven: The Truth**

_"Sometimes we must get hurt in order to grow; we must fail in order to know. Sometimes our vision clears only after our eyes are washed away with tears."_

"So he won't talk to anyone?" said Crumb as he, Marissa, and Hazel stood outside Gary's room.

"No," said Marissa. "He'll talk, but he won't talk about what happened. He seems distant."

"Maybe he just needs time," suggested Crumb. "After a few days rest, I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Not after he's spent time with Bostwick," said Hazel quietly. "We have to try and talk to him."

"We've tried," said Marissa, "but it doesn't matter. He just shuts us out."

"Then try again," said Crumb. He surprised both women standing there and they both turned toward him. "I can't say I know Hobson as well as you two, but I do know he has this way bouncing back after these things. I've seen him come out of the hospital and the next day be running across town at top speeds. Neither of you are going to give up on him, so I suggest you go talk to him again."

Marissa and Hazel stood there silently. They were contemplating what the man had said. "It's definitely better than sitting on our asses all day worrying about him."

"If we talk to him together," said Marissa, "we're more likely to get a response. He can't ignore use both."

"Let's go," said Hazel. She and Marissa walked into the hospital room and Hazel saw Gary staring absently out the window; Marissa didn't need to see him, but could tell by the air of the room Gary was no different than before.

"Gary?" said Hazel quietly as she and Marissa walked over to the bed. He didn't respond. "Gary?" Hazel said again.

He looked towards them and said quietly. "Hi."

"We need to talk, Gary," said Marissa as she took the seat she had been sitting in the last two days. Hazel went around to the other side and sat in that chair.

"About what?" asked Gary. Both Marissa and Hazel could hear his voice falter for a second.

"About what happened," replied Hazel. Gary turned toward Hazel and realized that they had a plan of attack. He swallowed hard, but didn't say anything. "And don't try and shut us out this time."

"You can't keep it from us forever," said Marissa. "Please, tell us what happened."

Gary looked back and forth between his friend and hie girlfriend and sighed. He had been trying to forget what had happened, but it was stuck in his mind. There was no way of avoiding the memories or the guilt anymore.

Gary closed his eyes and then slowly started to speak. "The paper came when I was there," said Gary. "Bostwick took it and he found an article in it. It said that three people were going to be seriously injured in a car accident." The accident replayed again in Gary's mind. "I watched the accident. I couldn't save them." Hazel stared blankly at Gary and Marissa sat there in shocked silence. "He said he was going to go after you guys next," continued Gary quietly.

Hazel shook her head and stood up from the chair. She hurried to the door and walked out of the room. Marissa continued to sit there. "You don't have to worry anymore," said Marissa. "Bostwick's going away forever." Gary didn't respond. He had gone back to staring out the window. "Gary?" said Marissa after a minute or so of silence.

"Please leave," said Gary quietly.

"But Gary," said Marissa.

"Please leave," repeated Gary.

"Fine," said Marissa almost sounding angry, "but I'm not done talking to you yet." She got up and walked out of the room.

!&!&!&

Crumb saw Hazel rush out of the room and a few minutes later, Marissa followed. "What happened?" asked Crumb as he walked over to her.

"We had a breakthrough," replied Marissa, "and then I think he had a breakdown. Did you see where Hazel went?"

"She went towards the elevators," answered Crumb. "Want some help finding her?"

"If you wouldn't mind," said Marissa.

"No problem," said Crumb. Marissa took hold of his arm and they went in search of Hazel.

!&!&!&

The wind that blew against her was cold, but she didn't care. "I can't believe this," Hazel muttered to herself as she shook her head. "I just can't believe this." In a fit of anger, Hazel threw her fist against the wall. Pain shot up through her arm, but she didn't care.

"Feel better?" asked Crumb as he and Marissa walked towards her.

"No," replied Hazel ruefully. "Now I'm angry and my hand hurts."

"Next time don't hit the wall," said Crumb.

"I just can't believe this," said Hazel. "Why him of all people?"

"I don't know, Hazel," said Marissa, "but we're going to help him." Hazel didn't respond. "Hazel?"

"I know we're going to help him," said Hazel with a sigh. "I'm definitely not ready to give up one him, but I'm not sure I know how to help him."

"You'll help him anyway you can," said Marissa, "but you're not going to help him by slamming your fist into the wall."

Hazel sighed again and ran her hands through her hair. She was about to say something when the cell phone in her pocket rang. Hazel grabbed it and put it up to her ear. "Hello?" she said not bothering to hide the annoyance in her voice.

"Hazel," said the voice on the other end. "It's McCain. I have some bad news."

"Nothing could make my already terrible mood worse," said Hazel, but when she heard what McCain had to say, she dropped the phone in shock.

"Are you alright, Hazel?"asked Crumb as he watched her lean against the wall for support. When he didn't get a response, Crumb decided to get his answers from whoever was on the other end of the phone.

"Hazel!?" Crumb heard a frantic McCain shout as he put the phone up to his ear.

"No," said Crumb as he winced. "Crumb. What the hell did you tell her?"

"Bostwick," said McCain. "He got away. Took down an agent and an officer is in the hospital. We're sending a guard over to the hospital right away. I highly don't he'll go there though. He's probably on his way out of the country."

"Aren't you searching for him?" shouted Crumb.

"Of course we're searching for him," McCain replied in an equally loud voice, "but we haven't found him yet. It just happened. Good day!" Crumb heard a click on the other end.

"What's going on?" asked Marissa after Crumb had stopped talking for a minute.

Crumb was about to reply when Hazel said quietly, "He got away and I know he's coming back here."

Marissa stood there in shocked silence for a second and then shouted angrily, "Can't they keep those damn Bostwick's in jail longer than twenty-four hours!?" Both Crumb and hazel jumped back startled by the blind woman's outburst.

The three stood there in silence for awhile. They were waiting for the shock of the phone call and the outburst to sink in.

"Someone has to tell him," said Hazel finally breaking the silence.

"Yeah," said Crumb, "but who?"

"All three of us are going to do it," replied Marissa. "That way not one of us alone is forced to do it and I think it'll be easier on him."

"He's still not gonna take this well," said Hazel. "No matter how many of his friends tell him."

!&!&!&

Gary heard the door of his room open, but did not bother to look to see who was coming in. He knew it was either Marissa, Hazel, or Crumb, maybe even all three.

"Gary," he heard Marissa say quietly. "We have some bad news." Gary didn't reply and the group took it as a sign to go on.

"Bostwick got out," said Hazel her voice wavering a bit.

Gary heard the words, but couldn't believe. "No," muttered Gary as he turned toward the group. He could tell by the looks on their faces that what they had said was no joke.

"They're sending a guard over," continued Crumb. "It's a precaution is case he's stupid enough to come back after you."

Gary was silent for a few minutes and his friends wondered if that was the last straw for him. They were relieved when he finally spoke. "Go get my doctor," said Gary his voice sounding strong for the first time since they had got him out of that house.

"Are you alright?" asked Marissa.

"Go get my doctor," repeated Gary, "and someone go to my apartment please and get me some clean clothes."

"Why?" asked Hazel.

"Just do it!" Gary said angrily.

Startled by his outburst, the three complied with his orders.

!&!&!&

"I really don't advise you leaving," Dr. Wolf said to Gary as he watched him tie his shoes. "I think you should at least stay two more days."

"I'm sorry," said Gary as he stood up. He winced slightly. The cut was still pretty tender. "I can't stay here. Not if he's out. I'm not gonna put more innocent people in danger. Now, can I please have my discharge papers?"

"I don't advise this," said Dr. Wolf as he reluctantly handed the papers.

"I don't care," muttered Gary. He quickly signed the papers and handed them back to the doctor. "Good-bye."

"Please, try and get some rest," said Dr. Wolf as he followed him out of the room, "and no heavy activity. Just try and take it easy."

"Fine," replied Gary quickly. He saw Marissa and Hazel waiting for him by the elevator and hurried over to them.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Hazel. From the little bit of activity that day, Gary already seemed to be drained.

"I'm not gonna stay where innocent people can get hurt," replied Gary.

"What about you?" asked Marissa. "What if you get hurt?"

Gary didn't reply. He simply pressed the elevator call button and waited for it to arrive.

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I just want to clarify for everyone something I wrote. I said that Hazel is Gary's girlfriend. That's it. I just wanted to clarify that. Yes! I said that. Bye!


	8. Failure

Title: Un-Forgotten

Author: HAPPYBUNNY13

Rating: PG-13 (Swearing and mild violence)

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Early Edition and never ever will. I know. Sad.

Summary: Bostwick (Samuel Bostwick) is back and Gary is in danger.

Note: One more chapter after this. ****

**Un-Forgotten**

**Chapter Eight: Failure**

_"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children...to leave the world a better place...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. That is to have succeeded."_

Gary carefully lied down on his bed. It felt good to be back in his own apartment, but the fear was still there. Marissa and Hazel had been completely against him leaving the hospital, but he wasn't going to stay there where more innocent people could get hurt. "He can come get me here," Gary muttered to himself as he felt his eyelids start to droop.

!&!&!&

Samuel Bostwick wandered down the street. _"This is a minor setback_," he thought to himself, _"but nothing I can't deal with. I'll have to lie low for a day, but this isn't over, Hobson. Not by a long shot."_

!&!&!&

"When do you guys think you're going to open again?" asked Hazel the next day when she was sitting in the McGinty's office.

"In a few days," replied Marissa. "That'll give Gary a few days of rest."

"He shouldn't have left the hospital yet," muttered Hazel.

"You're preaching to the choir, Hazel," said Marissa, "but once he's made his mind up, there is no going back."

"Where is he anyway?" asked Hazel. "He's not trying to deal with the paper again is he?"

"I don't know," replied Marissa. "I talked to him earlier, but I haven't heard him in awhile."

"I'm gonna go see if he's upstairs," said Hazel. "Hopefully, he'll be feeling better."

"Maybe," said Marissa simply. She didn't want to discourage Hazel, but she had lied when she said she had talked to him. She had merely pounded on the door until she got tired of it and left. Gary wasn't talking to anyone.

Hazel left the office and walked up the stairs to Gary's loft. She put her ear against the door and listened to see if Gary was still in there. Hazel couldn't hear anything and knocked quietly on the door. "Gary?" she said through the door. "Gary, are you in there?"

She still didn't hear anything and started to walk away when the door of Gary's loft opened a crack. Hazel sighed in relief and turned back around. She stepped into the apartment and called out quietly, "Are you alright, Gary?"

She saw him sitting on the couch staring absent-mindedly out the window.

"I'm fine," answered Gary quietly. Not even bothering to look at her.

"I sure believe that," said Hazel sarcastically. Gary didn't say anything. "Will you please talk to me?"

"There isn't anything to talk about," said Gary.

"And once again," said Hazel. "I sure believe that."

"No one asked you to came up here," said Gary coldly.

"And yet you haven't asked me to leave," retorted Hazel.

Gary looked over at her and for a second Hazel saw a look of thankfulness in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by an angry stare.

"Then why don't you leave?" asked Gary.

"You still haven't asked me to leave," said Hazel. "You've asked why I haven't left and you told me you didn't ask me here, but you haven't asked me to leave. Go ahead ask me and I will" She crossed her arms and stared at Gary.

He stared angrily at her for a moment and opened his mouth. For a second, Hazel thought that he was actually going to ask her to leave, but she sighed in relief when he closed his mouth and turned away from her.

"I want to help you, Gary," said Hazel as she sat down next to him. "I'm not sure how I'm going to, but I'm going to try."

Gary turned toward her and saw tears in his eyes. "I saw them die," he said quietly, "and I couldn't do anything about it."

"It wasn't your fault," said Hazel feeling like she was going to cry too. "It wasn't."

"Then whose fault was it," asked Gary. "I know I could have done something to save them I know I could have, but I failed."

Hazel struggled to stay calm and took Gary by the shoulders. "It wasn't your fault," said Hazel forcing Gary to look her in the eyes. "I don't know how to make it more clear, but it wasn't your fault. I'm going to prove that to you."

For a second, Hazel thought Gary almost smiled. Hazel heard her cell-phone ring and she cursed loudly. "Hold on," she said to Gary. She got up off the couch off the couch and answered the phone. "Hello?" she said angrily.

"Hazel," said the voice on the other end. "Where the hell are you?"

"What are you talking about, Bob?" asked Hazel recognizing the voice of her boss at the radio station.

"You go on in less the twenty-minutes," said Bob. "Where the hell are you?"

Hazel looked at her watch and swore. "I'll be there as soon as possible," said Hazel nervously. She hung up the cell-phone and turned back toward Gary. "I have to go to work I'll be back afterwards."

"It's okay," said Gary quietly.

Hazel sighed sadly and gave Gary a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you later," she said quietly.

"Bye," replied Gary.

Hazel hurried out the door and down to her truck which was parked on the street below. She got into the driver's seat and started it up. The engine sputtered a few times, but finally came to life. She pulled off and drove as fast as she legally could to the radio station.

!&!&!&

Gary sat up and opened his eyes. He couldn't remember falling asleep, but apparently he had. He rubbed his eyes and slowly got off the couch. His body was still sore and the stitches in the cut Bostwick had given him was still tender.

He walked over to the kitchen and got himself a glass of water. The cat was sitting on the counter staring at him. He had shown up at six-thirty that morning just like always, but the paper hadn't been with him. Gary was almost glad it wasn't there. "What are you staring at?" Gary asked the animal angrily. The cat continued to follow him with his eyes. "Why don't you leave me alone?" Gary demanded of the cat. It let out a low growl.

"Go away," Gary told the animal, "and leave me alone." He finished his glass of water and went back over to the couch. He was still tired and sleep was the best thought on his mind at the moment.

He sat back down and closed his eyes. It was only a few minutes, before he fell back asleep.

!&!&!&

"The request time is just about coming to an end people," Hazel said into the microphone, "so call in and we'll take your requests for your favorite rock songs. Next, Iron Man by Black Sabbath." She pressed the button and watched as the 'On Air' went from bright red to black.

She took off her headphones and leaned back. Her time was almost up and then she could go back to Gary's. She heard the phone ring and reached to answer it. "'Request live,'" she said into the phone.

"Hello, Hazel," said the voice on the other end. Hazel inhaled sharply. "Good to hear from you again."

"How-?" but Hazel's question was stopped short.

"I have my ways," was the voice's reply.

"Why the hell are you calling my show, Bostwick?" demanded Hazel.

"Just going to give you a heads up," replied Bostwick with a sneer in his voice. "You might want to give your boyfriend a heads up too." Hazel was about to respond when there was a click on the other end of the line. Hazel dropped the phone and ran out of the room.

"Where the hell you going, Hazel?!" Bob shouted at her as she ran of the radio station.

Hazel didn't answer. She was already out of hearing range.

!&!&!&

Bostwick walked quietly through the dark bar. He knew he was the only one there other than Hobson. "I've just about got my revenge," Bostwick said with mirth. "Just a little bit more time."

He was just about to go up the stairs when he heard a crash from the kitchen area. He turned back around and walked cautiously to the kitchen. "Hello, Hazel," said Bostwick with a sneer as he turned on the light. Hazel was scrambling to get off of the floor. As she stumbled to her feet Bostwick laughed. "I've got you this time, Hazel," he said with a stupid grin on his face as he pulled out a gun. "Bye-bye, Hazel." Bostwick pointed it at her.

!&!&!&

Gary woke from his dreamless sleep as he heard a loud blast. "What the?" he rubbed his eyes and got out of his bed. Gary slowly crept down the stairs and saw that one of the lights had accidentally be left on. "Damn," he muttered to himself as he started to walk over and turn off the kitchen light.

"Hello, Hobson," said a voice behind him. "How are you feeling?"

Gary stumbled as he turned around and stared at the man. "Wh-wh-what--," Gary stuttered.

"What am I doing here?" finished Bostwick. "Just taking care of a few loose ends. Hazel over there was just a bonus." He gestured with his gun to a body that was lying on the floor.

"Hazel," Gary choked out as he ran over to where she lay, but the cold steel of Bostwick's gun being pressed into his back caused Gary to stop in his tracks.

"I don't advise that," said Bostwick. Gary turned around slowly and faced the man.

"Why don't you just kill me?" asked Gary as he glared defiantly at the older man. "You've ruined my life so why don't you just kill me?"

"Hmm," said Bostwick. "Kill you? That is what I came here to do, so why don't I?"

Gary watched as he cocked the gun and he closed his eyes anticipating the pain that he new was inevitable. Gary thought Bostwick was about to pull the trigger, when he felt a heavy blow land on the stitched up cut. Gary gasped in pain and sank slowly to the floor.

"I can't kill you yet," said Bostwick with a laugh. "I have to make you suffer first."

Gary gasped for air as he looked up at the man. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the counter that was supporting him. "No," begged Gary weakly shaking his head. "You wanted revenge against me so just shoot me and leave. Leave my friends and family alone and just shoot me."

Bostwick smiled. This is what he had been hoping to achieve from the beginning. He wanted Hobson to have given up completely before he killed him. Once he had taken everything he cared about from him, Bostwick knew there was nothing more he could do, but shoot him. Bostwick raised the gun and aimed at Gary. He cocked the gun and prepared to shoot. A shot resounded the McGinty's kitchen followed by the sound of a body slumping to the floor.

!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!

Dun dun dun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHA, I evil. See you next chapter. Bye!


	9. Okay?

Title: Un-Forgotten

Author: HAPPYBUNNY13

Rating: PG-13 (Swearing and mild violence)

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Early Edition and never ever will. I know. Sad.

Summary: Bostwick (Samuel Bostwick) is back and Gary is in danger.

Note: One more chapter after this. ****

**Un-Forgotten**

**Chapter Nine: Okay?**

_"The power to believe in yourself is the power to change fate."_

Gary heard the gun go off, but never felt any pain. He opened his eyes and saw Bostwick lying on the floor. There was blood coming from a bullet-hole in his chest; Agent Ian McCain was standing in the doorway holding a recently fired gun.

"Are you okay?" he asked Gary as he put the gun back into it's holster beneath his jacket.

Gary remained silent as his eyes went from the agent that had just saved his life, to the dead man who had tried to take it, and then to Hazel who was still lying on the floor. "He shot her," Gary finally said after a few more seconds of silence.

"I know," said McCain, "but don't worry. She's probably only stunned, at most unconscious." Gary looked up at him confused. "She's wearing a bulletproof vest." The confused look was still there. "She'll explain later. Now, are you okay?" He had noticed the deep red stain that was spreading across his shirt and had thought for a second the shot from earlier had hit him.

Gary looked down at his shirt and replied, "I guess my stitches must have split, but I'm fine." He rushed over to where Hazel lay and flipped her over onto her back. He was relieved to see McCain wasn't lying and there was no blood on her chest.

"Ow," muttered Hazel softly as she slowly started to come to. She opened her eyes and looked up at Gary. "That's one thing about the FBI I'll never miss." Gary sighed in relief and helped Hazel to her feet. "Are you alright?" she asked nervously when she saw the blood on his shirt.

Gary didn't answer. He was too shocked. He pulled Hazel into a hug almost afraid to let her go. "Is Marissa okay?" Gary asked after he had finally let go of Hazel. "He didn't go after her too, did he?"

"I called her before I came here," answered Hazel. "She's fine."

"How did you know to come here?" asked Gary.

"It's kind of a long story," replied Hazel, "and before I tell it, I think you might want to have someone take a look at your stitches."

Gary looked down at his shirt and saw how big the bloodstain had become. "It just need a towel or something," said Gary quietly.

"I'm taking you to the hospital," said Hazel her voice leaning no room for argument.

!&!&!&

Hazel helped Gary up the stairs and into his loft. The doctor had redid the stitches and had given him a strong painkiller. "Just a little bit farther, Gary," said Hazel as she set him down on the couch. The doctor had also him a mild sedative to help him sleep.

"I'm just tired," muttered Gary as he closed his eyes.

"I know you are," said Hazel. Gary rolled over on his side and fell asleep.

Hazel sighed. She knew that once the painkillers and sedative wore off Gary would be back in the slump and would want to know what happened. She picked up a blanket off the back of the couch and put it over Gary. Hazel collapsed into the chair in the room and started to doze. It wasn't long before she fell into a deep sleep.

!&!&!&

Gary opened his eyes and sat up quickly. Immediately, the room started to spin. Gary grabbed his head and sat there for a few seconds. He looked around the room and saw Hazel asleep. "What's going on?" Gary asked himself. The events from last night quickly came back. He remembered Bostwick, Hazel, McCain, and the hospital, but nothing after that.

"Hazel?" said Gary his voice slightly hoarse. "Hazel?"

She opened her eyes and looked over at him. "Morning," she said through a yawn. "I think."

"What happened?" asked Gary not being any more precise.

Hazel knew exactly what he was referring to. "Bostwick called the radio station during request live," answered Hazel. She had known the questions were coming. "He basically told me he was coming here and I think he knew I would show up to. I called McCain and he came here. He gave me a bulletproof vest and sent me in and you know the rest."

"You should have let him shoot me," said Gary quietly.

Hazel was shocked by his words. "What the hell are you talking about?" asked Hazel as her eyes went wide.

"I let those people die," said Gary. "I basically led Bostwick to you guys and almost got you all killed. I failed and you guys almost payed the price for it."

Hazel got up out of the chair and sat down on the ouch next to Gary. "I wasn't sure, at first, how I could help you deal with all this," Hazel said quietly, "and I know you probably won't believe me when I say this, but I know you feel." Gary looked up at her. "I know what it's like to feel like you've failed," continued Hazel. "I've known for a long time. I failed to backup my first partner and he died because I wasn't there. Now it's taken me years and I keep replaying the scene in my head to try and come up with something I could have done to save him and I can't think of anything. Gary, it wasn't your fault those people got hurt. You couldn't do anything. It's was Bostwick's fault and no one else's. I hope you can accept because I don't know how to make it more clear." Gary looked her in the eyes. "You're the only one who knows if you're going to be alright, Gary," said Hazel. "Marissa doesn't know, I don't know, the cat doesn't know, even tomorrow's paper doesn't know. Only you know if you're going to be okay. You don't have to forget those people, but you do have to move on."

Gary swallowed and said, "I think I will be okay. I think I will."

Hazel smiled and kissed him. There was a thump and the meow of a cat and Gary looked at the door and then at the clock. "Six-thirty," he said quietly.

"Six-thirty," Hazel repeated.

"I'm gonna be okay," said Gary.

"I know," said Hazel softly. Gary got up off the couch and got the paper.

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I know. Kind of an abrupt ending, but I'm done. I told you Hazel was Gary's girlfriend.


End file.
